I love my best friend
by myskinglitters
Summary: Edward Masen has been her best friend as long as Bella Swan can remember. He is the most important person in her life, and he means everything to her. But Bella feels something else blooming in their friendship.
1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER 1**

**I walked over the neatly laid out stones that led their way to the welcoming house. Welcoming, because I came here almost every day.**

**I stopped when I reached the front porch, and pressed the doorbell. The door opened without delay and Edward's mom stood there, smiling.**

**"Good morning, sweetheart." She greeted me.**

**"Good morning, ." I answered brightly. I looked past her slender figure into the sunlit drawing room. Rosalie Hale lounged on the couch beside the grand piano, reading a book. Looking up from her book, she waved and smiled at me briefly. Then she went back to her book again. My eyes moved to the long, sturdy staircase and up the second floor.**

**Elizabeth Masen's eyes followed my gaze. "Oh, he isn't up yet, dear. Do you want to check on him?" She motioned toward the stairs.**

**"I'd love to." I said, and I could feel my face lightening up.**

**She smiled at me once more and went into the kitchen, where she was undoubtedly creating a masterpiece, given the gorgeous, rich smell of baking cake batter streaming from the kitchen.**

**I skipped up the stairs, with the smile still glued to my face. The second floor was entirely papered in blue, and was artfully complemented by pieces of pale furniture. I walked towards the second door on the left side of the hall, and knowing only too well that the door wouldn't be locked, or shut, I pushed it open gently. The door parted from its frame without a sound, and the dim room came into view. I knew this room well. I knew exactly where each picture stood, where each book was laid, even what the dressers and drawers contained.**

**My smile stretched tighter into a grin as I saw the sleeping figure on the bed.**

**Edward. He was my best friend, my favourite person in the whole wide world. I'd known him since the age of 5, and we had been best friends ever since. We were next-door neighbours, so we were almost always around each other. We went to the same school, and we agreed on almost everything. He was also the person I was closest to, and I told him everything. Everything that made me sad, happy, frustrated, anxious…you name it. I remembered the first time I'd written a test without studying, and I had no choice but to copy from my neighbour's sheet. I felt so guilty, that I ran straight to Edward after the test and sobbed out the entire story. I wasn't emotional, and I was very rarely sentimental. We were 12, and he'd consoled me in front of the whole class when I'd wailed like an animal.**

**I skipped over to the bed, and eyed him with a slightly possessive air. His face was peaceful, placid.**

**I also knew that he was the best looking boy in the neighbourhood. I wasn't the only one who thought so. Everybody here knew.**

**Very carefully, I sat at the foot of his bed. Not feeling bad about disrupting his sleep, I tickled his bare feet. He stirred and opened his eyes slightly. His clear green eyes spotted me, and he grabbed an extra pillow and pulled it over his face. "Don't you have anything better to do?", he moaned from under the pillow.**

**"No, I don't, actually. Mom asked me to rake some leaves off the front yard, and I made my escape while I could. Anyway, happy seventeenth birthday, old man!" I teased.**

**"Very funny" His muffled voice said.**

**"Come on, sleepy head, wake up! It's your birthday. You know better than to sleep in!" I climbed further up on the bed and pushed him roughly.**

**He fell.**

**"Bella!" He cried.**

**"See, this is what happens to lazy sleepers." I grinned.**

**"Hey, you know what? The floor's pretty comfortable so I…" He began.**

**"Don't you dare!" I shouted. "Come on now! Up and at 'em!"**

**He got off the floor reluctantly. "Fine, have it your way then. You always do."**

**He rubbed his eyes and ran his hand through his bronze hair, which was precisely the same colour as his mother's. He headed for the bathroom.**

**While he was gone, I carefully took out my birthday present for him out my jacket pocket. I tucked the swollen blue water balloon under the quilt and held back laughter. I knew I should've felt ashamed. I was just as bad as an eleven-year-old boy. No, I was worse. I loved to play pranks on him, and I loved to watch him take it all in with frustration. It was a childhood habit, and old habits die hard, I'd heard. I smiled.**

**It took him about 10 minutes to come out of the bathroom. His clothes were fresh and his hair was neatly combed. His face was wiped clean of all signs of sleep, and he was smiling a brilliant smile. I almost felt bad about playing a prank on such a face like that.**

**"Well, Bella, I can't say that I'm surprised but…" His sentence trailed off. He'd spotted the little bump the balloon had made under the quilt. Whoops!**

**His eyes narrowed and he bent to yank the quilt out of the way. He held up the blue balloon. "Really, Bella?" He asked.**

**"Sorry?" I smiled sheepishly.**

**He snorted. "You only get more childish every day." He shook his head. "Well, come on downstairs" He walked out of the room.**

**I happily followed him out, with that exact same possessive feeling attacking me all over again.**


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

**I followed Edward down the stairs, and the delicious scent of cake that I'd caught earlier wafted in with more intensity.**

**Rosalie was still lying on the couch, with no apparent change in her posture,except that she'd re-adjusted her position.**

**Rosalie Hale was Edward's cousin. Her parents were divorced. Her father was busy touring the world, and her mother had remarried. Rose's dad had convinced her to stay with her aunt, Edward's mother. She was reluctant, but she finally gave in.**

**Rosalie had always remained indifferent to me, as if there was something in my personality that displeased her. I couldn't blame her though. I was a bit of a tomboy. I wasn't exactly a great dresser, unlike Rosalie, who looked like Cinderella. Without the grime and dirt, of course. I was one of those hyperactive goons, and that annoyed Rosalie. Pretty much everything annoyed her.**

**Edward walked into the kitchen. "What's cooking mom?" He teased. Like he didn't already know. I snickered.**

**His mom turned away from the cake, which was now beautifully iced with syrupy chocolate.**

**"Good morning, honey!" She sang, and hugged her son. "Happy birthday." She smiled, kissed his cheek and pulled away to take a better look at him.**

**Anyone could tell that this mother loved her son. You could see it in her shining green eyes. Edward and his dad, Edward Masen Senior, were the two most important people to her.**

**"Help yourselves, kids." She said. Edward grabbed a knife and cut the cake into neat little pieces. This was the tradition. He preferred to keep it light. I did, too.**

**"Come here, Rose!" He called. And then he turned toward me.**

**"Hungry?" He asked.**

**"You bet I am." I said.**

**He took a piece and shoved it into my waiting mouth.**

**"Oh, wow. Great stuff, Mrs Masen ." I mumbled with my mouth full.**

**"Thank you." She said.**

**Rosalie came into the kitchen and took a piece of the chocolate cake. "Happy birthday." She hugged Edward.**

**Then Edward and I crossed the drawing room and stepped out into the front yard. He looked a little smug. I wondered what was on his mind.**

**"So, I'm officially older than you, Bella." He grinned his sparkly grin.**

**"Ha! Enjoy it while you can. I'm going to catch up after two months." I said.**

**But even though we were the same age, he could always claim to be the more mature one. He was gentle, soft and specific in his mannerisms, while part of _my _brain was stuck at thirteen. Figuratively, of course.**

**Suddenly his expression changed altogether. He looked down, and took my hand.**

**"You know what, how would you like a present on _my _birthday?" He murmured.**

**"What a novel idea! Of course I would."**

**But he didn't have anything with him, so I wondered what he was going to give me.**

**"Close your eyes." He said.**

**My eyes closed. He still held my hand, so I could feel him bending down and straightening up two seconds later.**

**I was confused, and the confusion changed into panic as he let go of my hand and moved it to my face.**

**The tingly feeling in my stomach moved all the way up to my brain and clogged my throat. My eyes stayed shut.**

**He moved closer. The panic picked up pace.**

**Then, I could feel his other hand on my face, and I could feel something pasty and wet there too. In the abrupt shock, my eyes snapped open.**

**He stumbled away from me, and he was laughing. Laughing hard. His palm was covered in some wet, brown stuff. Mud.**

**I felt my face. Muddy.**

**The anger unclogged my throat.**

**I hissed. "Edward….."**

**"This is what happens to people who are still dumb enough to play pranks on their best friends." He laughed.**

**Then I was shouting. "If you dare, then come here and fight me like a man!"**

**"Sorry, I don't want to lose an arm at the tender age of seventeen!" He bent over in laughter.**

**"That's it!" I sprinted. He did too.**

**He jumped over the fence that separated his house from mine. I chased after him. He was fast, but I was just as fast as him.**

**I threw myself at him when I was close enough, and he fell on the lawn.**

**"Ow."**

**I pinned him to the ground with my right leg, and a scooped out a handful of mud from the flowerbed.**

**"Aw, come one, I just washed." He begged.**

**"Say your prayers." I grinned, and I smeared the fresh dirt all over his face.**

**I laughed, and he was laughing too. We lay there, laughing and cursing like two muddy seven-year-olds.**

**Towards my right, I saw Rosalie leave the house. Time for her piano lessons, I guessed. Edward and Rosalie were both musical, but the only difference was that Rosalie took lessons and Edward didn't. He was a natural.**

**Then she spotted us and eyed us with repulsion. Again, I couldn't blame her. Flushing, I straightened up, and pulled Edward with me. He laughed at Rose's expression. The he turned his head to wink at me. I snorted.**

**Rose smiled, just a little. She shook her pretty golden head, and walked out onto the road, and turned the corner, her well-pressed clothes shimmering in the sun.**

**When we were alone, I turned to Edward, and smeared the rest of the mud on his shirt.**

**"Happy birthday." I snickered.**


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

**The alarm clock on my bedside table went off with a sharp buzz. I slammed it into silence, yanked away the bed sheets and got off the bed. This was the usual time I got up for school. Feeling lazy as always, I slouched into the bathroom, brushed, washed and tidied myself up for the day. Then I got dressed; jeans and a t-shirt (what else?) grabbed my backpack and hopped down the stairs.**

**I could hear my mom, Renee Swan, whistling in the kitchen, getting ready for one of those tiring days. Renee was a kindergarten teacher, which, according to me, was one of the most hazardous jobs on Earth. Well, I didn't think much of kids, but Renee loved them.**

**I walked into the kitchen, wished her a good morning, had some cereal, scanned the newspaper, said goodbye to her and got out into the fresh morning air. My dad's car was gone, as usual. Charlie was the chief of police, so he was used to starting his day pretty early. He loved his job, and the word 'retirement' horrified him. He always did an excellent job of putting up with Renee's complaints about how his job always kept him busy.**

**It was a clear day. Bright, blue and warm. I smiled at how comfortingly, pleasantly monotonous my life was. Anyone would think I'd get tired of living through the same stuff, day after day. But I never did. I hated changes, and I thought life was perfect the way it was right now.**

**"Good morning!" My best friend's voice came up from my right. I didn't notice him come out, as I was lost in thought. We always walked together to school, and back. After school, we usually spent the rest of the day at my house or his, doing homework, arguing, teasing, talking, watching Edward play the piano, playing chess with Mr Masen ...**

**"Hey!" I waved at him. I went over to his side, slid my arm through his, and we began to walk along the curved road, lined with autumn trees that were now crowned with layers of red, gold, brown and orange.**

**We didn't talk much, which was strange. Edward was always complaining that I never shut up. I didn't know what was different today. He, of course, noticed my silence.**

**"Hey, what's wrong?" He leaned down a bit to look at my face.**

**He was smiling at my lack of conversation, but his eyes were concerned.**

**"I don't know, I don't feel like talking today. You know, it's a beautiful day. I was taking it all in silently." I grandly gestured towards the scenery with my free arm.**

**"Ha! Liar!" He scoffed. I had to laugh at that. He knew that _my_ idea of beautiful was sports cars and baseball matches.**

**Suddenly, I realized what had upset me. I remembered yesterday, when he was about to give me his "present". I remembered my panic, but what stood out was that I was _disappointed_ when the "present" turned out to be nothing but a not-so-generous mudpack.**

**Why? I asked myself, bewildered. I didn't have an answer.**

**Suddenly, I felt very aware of Edward's arm in mine.**

**He was looking ahead, not bothering to ask me again what was on my mind. He knew I'd tell him all that eventually.**

**But would I?**

**We were about to turn the corner that would take us straight to the school building, when I noticed a group a giggling girls standing on the lined walkway. They were all shooting glances in our direction. I recognized those girls easily. Lauren Mallory, Jessica Stanley and Erin Tyler.**

**Suddenly, their gazes flickered to our linked arms and then they looked at Edward. Erin nudged Lauren and she shushed her. Jessica rolled her eyes, whispered something to the girls, and then walked toward us.**

**Edward was just staring, his brow creasing as he took in the two girls and Jessica, who was now getting closer to us. He didn't like those girls. He'd told me once. He'd called them shallow sapheads, even.**

**I knew Lauren had a thing for Edward. Many girls did. That bothered me. Very much. Ever since I was a child, I was possessive of him. I never let him go anywhere without me, and he preferred the same. The very reason why he had few friends. But plenty of female admirers, I thought in revulsion.**

**Jessica reached us then. "Hey Edward." She said. She didn't look at me, almost as if I were invisible.**

**"Hello." Edward smiled a polite smile.**

**"Well, I'm not going to beat about the bush so, um, listen Edward. Lauren really likes you. She wants to know if you're free tonight." She said confidently, and looked back to smirk at Lauren. Even from this distance, I could see that her long fingers were crossed.**

**I stared at her disbelievingly, and I stared at Edward. His face was confused. He was also faintly flushed. "Oh." He said. " Well, I… I don't know, Jessica." He shot a desperate look at me.**

**"Actually, I was expecting a better response. Just say yes or no." She waited, tapping her foot.**

**Suddenly, I was angry. Infuriated. Wasn't she even remotely aware of my presence? I hated the way she looked at him. Like…like she wouldn't go anywhere without an answer. Lauren was also gazing at him with glazed eyes. Erin was biting her lip.**

**And then I saw Edward fumbling for an answer, and my temper reached boiling point.**

**"NO." I yelled. I could feel my whole body freezing in shock as the word escaped my mouth. Four heads turned to look at me.**

**Edward was staring at me, the confusion overflowing. Jessica and the rest of the girls were staring at me in disbelief.**

**"He doesn't like her. Is it that difficult to make out?" I shouted. A small part of my mind tried to comprehend my bizarre reaction.**

**Angry through and through, I pulled Edward with me, vaguely aware of the dumb girls behind me. I didn't look at him, but I knew that his eyes were on me.**

**As we walked up to the building, I felt his hand stroke my hair once.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**I stared at the blank piece of paper. I was clutching my hair, and my mouth was busy chewing on the pencil tip. It had been 10 minutes since I'd been sitting in this very same position, with the excuse of doing my homework. But my mind was wandering.**

**I struggled to get the screaming thoughts out my head, but they refused to clear off. I was thinking of my crazy reaction yesterday, when I'd embarrassed my best friend and probably myself as well, in the presence of the three most popular girls in school. It surprised me that I had reacted that way.**

**Edward should be able to take decisions on his own. He is an independent human being. I shouldn't cling to him like I did, irrationally over-possessive… I kept telling myself over and over.**

**But… a small part of my mind wondered. But, if I'd allowed him to speak, would he have said yes? My heart throbbed faintly. Would he have wanted to go out with Lauren? Or with any other girl? The thought of him wanting to be close to another person than me made me angry. It should've been more than anger, because my heart throbbed painfully this time. My eyes closed and my head bowed.**

**Irritated, I dropped my pencil, pushed away from the desk, got up from the chair, and opened the door to get out of my room, no longer craving privacy.**

**Downstairs, my mom was planning out the week's lessons for the kids. She had her reading glasses on, and several picture books and papers were spread out on the kitchen table. She saw me get into the kitchen, and she looked up from her work. "You need something, honey?"**

**"No." I answered dully. It almost sounded rude.**

**She measured my expression. "Are you all right, Bella?"**

**"I'm fine, mom." I said roughly, got a glass of water and when I was finished with it, I walked out of the kitchen as quickly as I'd come in. My mom probably looked hurt. But at the moment, I couldn't bring myself to care.**

**I got out of my house and walked quickly over to Edward's house. I kept my head down as I walked in the darkness and it came as a shock when I ran into someone at the front porch. I didn't need to look up to know it was Edward.**

**I looked up anyway.**

**"Bella." He smiled.**

**I smiled back weakly.**

**"You hardly talked on the way back from school, Bella. What's wrong?" He asked.**

**I looked down.**

**"You can always tell me." He said, and he put his finger under my chin and titled my face up.**

**He looked very concerned. His green eyes were bright even in the unlit porch. He put his hand on my cheek.**

**"Won't you?" he asked.**

**Suddenly, all the feelings I'd held back burst forth. Tears I'd always been ashamed of flowed out of my eyes and I leaned into him. Reflexively, he put one hand on my waist.**

**"Tell me something Edward." I whimpered.**

**"Yes?"**

**"Do you want to go out with any of the girls you know?"**

**"I thought you knew me better than that." His voice was unexpectedly serious.**

**"Huh?" I asked, aware that my tears were relenting.**

**"I mean, uh, no. I don't. I don't think I'm made that way… I'm not looking for a relationship." He said.**

**I looked up at him from underneath wet lashes. His cheeks were an attractive pink.**

**"Why did you ask?" He asked, his already bright eyes lighting up with curiosity.**

**My thoughts were scrambled, so it was difficult to frame a lie.**

**"I don't like them much." This wasn't the truth, but it wasn't a lie either.**

**Suddenly, he dropped his hand and pulled away. He started laughing.**

**"Really? That's what you were crying for?" His laughter stopped, and he sighed.**

**"What is wrong with you?" He shook his head.**

**I managed to smile. "Don't even ask."**

**We left the darkness behind and got into the bright, warm house. For a moment, I experienced temporary relief and regret. I almost wished I'd told him the truth; although I was not sure what the truth was.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**I stumbled to the parking lot, laden with heavy bags of grocery. My mom usually did this weekly task. She was attending a friend's wedding, so I had to fill in.**

**I shoved the bags carelessly into the passenger seat of my mom's car. I was in a hurry and there was a reason for it. There was a big test coming up, and I had to cram. Big time. I goofed around the past couple of days, so it was only fair that I had to make up for it. But those days weren't a complete waste of time though, I remembered.**

**Edward and I had played a match of basketball, and I'd won easily. He wasn't the usual athletic type, which meant I had a huge claim in that area. I insisted that he give me a piggyback ride and he had to oblige. I imagined my mom's face when she saw Edward hauling me on his back and laughed out loud at the memory.**

**I drove away from the supermarket, grumbling about the huge amount of studies I had to do. I hoped Edward would be home. I needed his help. Whenever I basked in the glory of the school's athletic achiever, Edward always outdid me in academics.**

**I got home, threw the bags into the kitchen and headed upstairs. That was when the phone rang. I let out a huge groan and dragged myself over to the phone.**

**"Hello?" I spoke in a tired voice.**

**"Swan residence?" Asked an accented voice.**

**"Yes. Whom am I speaking to?" I asked**

**"Is this Chief Swan's daughter on the line?"**

**"Yes, it is."**

**Suddenly, the door opened and Edward's bright form entered the living room, carrying a load of books with him. I grimaced, and he smiled in response.**

**"Well, Miss. We have some terrible news. Chief Swan's just been shot." The voice turned grave and quiet.**

**I froze in place. I had to think hard to register what he meant. The receiver in my hand shook slightly.**

**"S-shot?" I asked.**

**"Yes, Miss. I'm calling from the Police department. We're deeply sorry. The injury's fairly bad but we were able to reach the hospital in time, and…may I talk to his wife, Miss?"**

**Panic shot up from the pit of my stomach and the receiver hung upside down. The Policeman's muffled voice could be heard faintly.**

**Edward must have noticed the shocked expression I wore. He hurried to my side and shook me slightly. "Um, Bella? What happened?"**

**"He's been s-shot." I replied, still shocked.**

**"Who?" Edward probed anxiously.**

**"Ch-Charlie." I whispered.**

**Edward's eyes registered the fact faster than I did. He grabbed hold of the hanging receiver and spoke into it.**

**"Hello? No, this is his neighbour. What happened?" I heard him asking.**

**Charlie was shot.**

**I needed to get to him. Soon.**

**My frozen legs snapped out of it the moment I realized I had to do something. I spun around and hurried out of the living room to get my mom's car.**

**I could hear Edward ending his questions abruptly and catching up. He took hold of my arm. "Where are you going?" He asked.**

**"I can't just stand here. I need to get to him _now_!" I snapped.**

**"But shouldn't you tell Renee first?" He was concerned and a little tense, but I was in no condition to pause, let alone tell Renee.**

**"No, Edward. I have to see him first." I told him firmly, heading towards the car.**

**He took hold of my arm again. I looked at him in frustration. "Wait. I'm coming with you."**

**I took one look into his eyes and nodded.**

**He got into the passenger seat and I raced to the hospital, not caring about the frustrated angry yells of the other drivers, or the cursing pedestrians.**


End file.
